ordonnance (iou) and variable (iou)

ordonnance (iou)

ordonnance noun. ]'?:d?n?ns, ?rd?ns (pl. same) M17.
[French, alt. of Old French ordenance after Old & mod. French ordonner: see ORDINANCE.]
Systematic arrangement, esp. of literary material or architectural parts; a plan or method of literary or artistic composition; an architectural order. Cf. ORDINANCE 6b. M17.
Daedalus No symmetrical ordonnance in Michelangelo's composition is likely to be rigid.
In various European countries, esp. France, an ordinance, a decree, a law. M18.
French History. In full company of ordonnance. Any of those organized companies of men-at-arms who formed the beginnings of a standing army in France. M18.

variable (iou)

variable adjective & noun. LME.
[Old & mod. French, or from Latin variabilis, from variare: see VARY verb, -ABLE.]
A. adjective.
Varying or liable to vary in state or quality; mutable, changeable, fluctuating, uncertain. LME.
J. D. Sutherland His General Health remained variable with occasional febrile states.
Of a person: apt to change from one opinion or course of action to another; inconstant, fickle, unreliable. Now rare. LME.
Of different kinds or degrees; diverse, various. LME-E17.
Of the weather etc.: liable to vary in temperature or character; changeable; (of wind, a current, etc.) tending to change in direction, shifting. L15.
Of land: of varying ownership; debatable. Only in M16.
That may be varied, changed, or modified; alterable; (of a gear) designed to give varying speeds. L16.
Guardian After six months, the..mortgage reverts to the society's variable base rate. Practical Woodworking Variable speed is..better if you are..cutting a variety of materials.
Liable to vary in size, number, amount, or degree; (of a quantity or number) liable to vary, having various values in different instances or at different times. E17.
Alan Johnson Its strength is more variable than that of a more homogeneous material. Independent Awards can be for highly variable amounts.
b. Economics. Of a cost: varying with output. M20.
Of a star: that varies periodically in actual or perceived brightness. L18.
Biology.
a. In names of animals and plants: of a form or colour which varies considerably between individuals, or at different seasons. L18.
b. Liable to deviate from a typical form, or to occur in different forms; tending to change in structure etc. M19.
A. R. Wallace From such a variable species..more new species may arise.
b. noun.
Science. A quantity or force which during a calculation or investigation is assumed to vary or be capable of varying in value. E19.
b. Computing. A data item that may take on more than one value during or between programs and is stored in a particular designated area of memory; the area of memory itself; (more fully variable name) the name referring to such an item or location. M19.
c. Logic. A symbol whose referend is not specified, though the range of possible referends usually is. E20.
a. Chiefly Nautical. A variable or shifting wind; spec. in pl., the region between the NE and SE trade winds. M19.
C. Darwin The 'variables' which are so common in the Equatorial regions.
b. Astronomy. A variable star. M19.
gen. A thing which is liable to vary or change; a changeable factor, feature, or element. M19.
Independent The conclusions implied are..inaccurate because they pick on one variable only.
variableness noun LME.
variably adverb L16.

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